Queen visits the Midlands

The Queen visits the Midlands to meet with soldiers who have just come back from a tour of Afghanistan.

Her majesty attended a homecoming service at Lichfield Cathedral for members of the Royal Mercian and Lancastrian Yeomanry, who recently completed a five-month tour of duty in Helmand province.

During her visit to Staffordshire, the Queen also visited the National Memorial Arboretum to attend a service honouring members of the armed forces who died in the line of duty last year.

The event in Alrewas, Staffordshire, commemorated the lives of 112 military personnel killed during 2010, including more than 100 servicemen who suffered fatal wounds while deployed in Afghanistan.

The National Memorial Arboretum is home to the national Armed Forces Memorial, which was completed in 2007 and bears the names of those who have been killed on duty or as a result of terrorism since the end of the Second World War.